Control mechanism



Oct. 6; 1931.

CONTROL MECHANI SM Filed May 31, 1927 lunllllllmmlllll lllllllllll i 1 gnwntoz 5. EINSTEIN 1,825,719

Patented Oct. 6, 1931' UNITED STATES PATENT OF FIC E SOL EINSTEIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI MILLING MA- CHINE COMPANY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, K CORPORATION OF OHIO common mncrmmsrr Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to improvements in- In the performance of milling operations it is frequently found desirable to vary the" to rate of speed at which one or more of the parts of the machine is shifted with varying conditions of the work being operated upon. For example, in the movement of the tableof the machine for feeding the Work with rei spect to the cutter, a certain speed may be selected as theoretically most appropriate for the particular job. Due, however, to hard spots in the castings, to the condition of the cutter or other factors, it may be found desirable during the operation or while operating on an individual work piece to change or vary this speed.

Prior to the present invention it has been v customary to perform this speed changing operation from a definite position on the machine. One mechanism for most readily accomplishing this result is illustrated in Einstein Patent 1,490,894, in which the speed changing mechanism is positively secured on a rigid member at the right of the front of the machine. This structure, however, possesses the disadvantage that it is capable of. a use only when the operator is in a position in front of the machine. Present day working requirements, however, frequently make it more desirable that the operator be at the column side or back of the table in place of the front.

It is therefore one of the purposes of the present invention to provide a mechanism which shall be readily available for use by the operator from any working position, so that he may from this position Vary his speeds of operation as desired, thus saving both time of production and expending of unnecessary efl'ort b the operator.

A further 0 ject of the present invention is the provision of a single control mecha; nism for progressively securing a plurality of feeds, the position of which may be senot therefore more specifically illustrated in 1927. Serial No. 195,239.

lectively varied in accordance with operating conditlons, without disturbing the setting or 7 adJustment of the parts controlled thereby.

Other objects and advantages of the pres ent invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken n connection with the accompanying drawlngs, and it will-be understood that any modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of'a, milling machine with the present improvement applied thereto. v

Figure 2 is a front view of the machine. Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View through the control mechanism. I Figure 4 is a horizontal section as on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a detail View of the control cam. In the drawings in which similar charactors of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates the column of a milling machine having the custdmary 7 overarm '11 supporting the arbor 12 hearing the cutter 13. Disposed beneath the cutter is a knee 1 1 on which is slidably mounted sad dle 15 hearing the table 16, these parts being of conventional construction. Secured on the side of the knee is the change speed box 17 deriving power from the spline shaft 18 passing therethrough. This box contains a suitable selection of speed varying gearing shifted into variably selected positions through operation of the rotary cam drum 19 secured on shaft 20. Specific mechanism for accomplishing this result is shown and claimed in Einstein Patent 1,490,894 and is the present instance.

Sufiice it'to say that the shifting of the gearing is effected by suitable shifter yokes having portions engaging the grooves 21, 22 and 23 of drum 19. Suitable means are provided for rotating the gearing shifted by the shifter yokes engaging in the cam drum grooves as above noted. This means may be an individual motor or, as here illustrated, may be driven from a line or countershaft 100 through the belt 10a encircling a pulley 10bto the means for imparting the necessaryrotar movements to the cam drum and the possi ility of selective positioning of these means to render their actuation most convenient for the operator. To this end box 17 is provided with a bracket portion 24 terminating in an arcuate disk or flange 25 having a plurality of locking notches 26.

Secured on the end of shaft 20 and overlying the bracket is a mitre gear 27 meshing with a similar gear 28 on the upper end of sleeve 29 which is journalled in the bracket. This sleeve bears on its lower end mitre gear 30, paired and meshing with mitre gear 31. Gear 30 is pinned on sleeve 29 and serves to rotatably support the swinging casing or housing 32, in which the sleeve is journalled. Slidable through sleeve 33 and suitably journalled in housing 32 is the control shaft 34 bearing on its forward or outer end the nob or handle 35 for both longitudinal shifting and rotation of the shaft. Member 35 further bears a pointer 36 moving over graduated plate 37in the front of the housing to indicate the speed changes effected through rotary movement of the shaft.

It will be apparent that if the housing 32 were 'given a swivelling movement under ordinary conditions either this movement would rotate gear 28 and thus through gear 27 the drum 19, shifting the position of the gears in the speed change box, or else if the drum remained stationary the swinging movement would cause a corresponding rotation of shaft 34, so that a different dial reading would be indicated by pointer 36. This would of course destroy all value of the shifting device so far as accurate determination of the result to be secured was concerned.

In order that the dial may accurately indicate the several speed selections in different positions of adjustment of housing 32, use is made of a mechanism for temporarily breaking the gear train previously described at such points that the desired swivelling may take place without shifting of either the indicator or drum. Additionally, for efficiency in operation means are provided for positively locking both of these parts in position during the adjustmentcof the housing. For accomplishment of this result in the structure disclosed, shaft 34 is shown as couplable with sleeve 33 of gear 31 by means of the double face clutch member 38. In normal inwardly pressed position clutch member 38 and sleeve 33 interlock for rotation of gear 31 by the shaft.

When it is desired to swing or oscillate the casing, shaft 34 is drawn outward disengaging sleeve 33 and engaging the opposite face of the clutch with clutch face 39 on lug 40 of the housing. This engagement serves to positively lock the shaft and thus pointer 36 against rotative movement. At the sametime the shifter spool 41 on shaft 34 engages pin 42 on latch member 43. This latch member is normally held interlocked with one of the notches 26 of flange 25 as by spring 44, but can be released by shifting of the rod. l/Vhen so released it will therefore be seen that the housing and associate parts may be swung about sleeve 29 as a pivot to desired adjusted location, so that the dial and operating nob will be disposed for convenient operation at the rear of the machine as indicated in Figure 1, or at the front of the machine as shown in Figure-2, for any selected intermediate position.

That there may be'no accidental shifting of drum 19 during this swinging movement there is slidably supported within sleeve 29 the lock plunger 45. This plunger has the bevelled or coned lower end 46 for engagement with the controlling head 47 on the inner end of shaft 34. This head has an iiiclined shaft 48 adapted to engage cone point 46 as the shaft is drawn outwardly to press plunger 45 upward. It is further formed with a peripheral groove 49 to receive and interlock with the point of the pin to aid in holding the shaftin retracted position. Plunger 45 is provided with the transversely extending pin 50 sliding through slots 51 of sleeve 29 and adapted for interlocking engagement with the series of notches 52 on the underside of bracket 24. Consequently, when the plunger is raised by the withdrawing movement of shaft 34, pin 50 by interlocking with the proper adjacent notches 52 will lock the sleeve and thus gear 28 against rotation during-the time that clutch 38 is disengaged. Consequently, both the cam drum controlling the shifting of the gears and the indicator 36 showing the shifted or adjusted position accomplished by rotation of the shaft are both definitely and positively locked against individual rotation when the connecting clutch for the transmission line is disengaged. This means that in all adjusted positions there will be a proper dial reading for the cam drum adjustment and accidental relative shifting of the parts from the transmission line is prevented.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, the constrnction and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent and it will be seen that there has been provided a simple and efficient individual lflJUStlIlg mechanism having a control portion selectively positionable according to the point from which the machine is being or is to be operated. Also, said control mechanism will give the same and proper reading for various positions of the control member therefor, without the necessity of resetting of dials or indicators and is rendered foolproof in that the essential indicating and operating parts are lockedthereof, a control member for t e speed variator having an operating portion selectively positionable foractuation from the front or rear of the table.

2. A speed and feed control for the movable members of a machine tool, including a reciprocable table and a mechanical change speed mechanism for controlling the shifting of the table, means for actuating the change speed mechanism, said means'including a final mover selectively positionable for operation at either side of the table, said final mover being correspondingly shiftable in either selected position, and mechanical connections between the mover and change speed mechanism for actuation of the latter upon shifting of the mover. j

3. A machine tool of the character described, the combination with a feed change mechanism, of a housing disposed in swivelledrelation to said mechanlsm, actuating means for the mechanism carried by the housing, and means for locking the housing in rotatably adjusted position.

4. In a machine tool of the character described, the combination with a mechanical feed change mechanism, of a remote control therefor, motion transmittin connections between the control and feed (ihange mechanfsm, said control being mounted for movement in a given operating position to effect various feed changes, and means for bodily shifting the control into various operating positions. 1

5. In a machine tool of the characters'described, the combination with a feed change mechanism, f a remote control therefor, means for bo ily shifting the control into various operating positions, and means for rendering the control inoperative during said shifting movement.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a gear shifting device, of a remote control therefor a-ngularly adjustable into various operating positions, a transmission train connecting said parts, means for interrupting said train'during said angular adjustment, and means for locking the shifter and control against movement when the train is interrupted.

7. In a machine tool mechanism of the character described, the combination with a gear shifting member and a control therefor, said latter being supported for oscillatory'movement, of a transmission connecting said parts, means for locking the control in desired oscillated position, and means for simultaneously disengaging said lock and interrupting the control, transmission.

8. In a machine tool mechanism of the character described, the combination with a gear shifting member and a control therefor, said latter being supported for oscillatory movement, of a transmission connecting said .parts, mean s for locking the control in desired oscillated position, means for simultaneously disengaging said lock and interrupting the control transmission, and addi- 1 tional means for locking the termini of the train against relative shifting when the train is interrupted.

9. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a rotatable and oscillatable control member, of selective means for locking the control member against oscillation or against rotation.

10. In a machine tool of the character described, the combination with a constant speed prime mover, of a speed change mechanism, and a control member for said mechanism selectively positionable for actuation from the front or rear of the machine.

11. In a machine tool of the character described, the combination with a mechanical speed change mechanism, of a control member therefor, selectively positionable for actuation from the front or rear of the machine, and means for locking the speed change mechanism against actuation during adjustment of the position of the control member.

12. A machine tool control mechanism, including a rotatable drum, a rotatable member for actuating the drum, drive connections between said parts, means for interrupting the drive connections. and for simultaneously locking the termini of the control system against operation.

13. The combination with a speed variator, of a selectively positionable control mechanism therefor, including an oscillatable member, means for locking the member in desired adjusted position, a rotary control device carried by said member, and capable of longitudinal and rotary movement with respects thereto, connections between the member and speed variator for actuating the latter on rotation of the member, and connections between the member and the locking device for actuating the locking device on longitudinal movement of the control device.

14. The combination with a speed variator,

or a selectively positionable control mecha- 1 adjusted position, arotary control device carried by said member, and capable of longitudinal and rotary movement with respects thereto, connections between the member and speed variator for actuating the latter on rotation of the member, connections between the member and the locking device for actuating the locking device on longitudinal movemeut of the control device, and additional means operated by longitudinal shifting of the control device for securing the device and speed variator against rotative movement.

15. A speed and feed control for the movable members of machine tools, including a pair of relatively translatable parts and a change speed drive mechanism for effecting such relative translation at variably selected speeds, control means for selection of the speeds including an operating member, motion translating mechanism extending therefrom to the speed change mechanism for mechanical actuation thereof, and means for simultaneously interrupting the transmission train and positively locking the termini thereof against transmission shifting adjusting movement whereby the position of the control may be varied relative to the machine without disturbing the relative effective positions of the termini. of the transmission.

16. A speed and feed control for the movable members of machine tools, including a pair of relatively translatable parts and a change speed drive mechanism for effecting such relative translation at variably selected speeds, control means for selection of the speeds including an operating member, motion translating mechanism extending therefrom to the speed change mechanism for mechanical actuation thereof, means for interrupting the transmission train and positively locking one terminus thereof against transmission shifting adjusting movement, a transmission unit in said train having a clutch face, an opposed stationary member having a fixed clutch position, and a doublelace clutch member non-rotatably coupled with said terminus, and selectively shiftable to engage the transmission unit or stationary clutch member.

17. A speed and feed control for a machine tool having a pair of relatively translatable parts, means for effecting such translatory movement from selected positions about the machine including a mechanical transmission train terminating at one end in a speed variator and at the opposite end in a control member, said train being intermediately provided with inter-meshing gears, a pivotel support for the control member oscillatable about the axis of one of said gears, and means for interrupting the transmission train at a point intermediate the controller and said gears whereby the controller may be swung about the axis aforesaid without actuation thereof on account of said oscillating movement.

18. A s cod and feed control for a machine tool avinga air of relatively translatable parts, means or effecting such translatory movement from selected positions about the machine including a mechanical transmission train terminating at one end in a speed variator and at the opposite end in a control member, said train being intermediately provided with inter-meshing gears, a pivotal support for the control member oscillatable about the axis of one of said gears, means for interrupting the transmission train at a point intermediate the controller and said gears whereby the controller may be swung about the axis aforesaid without actuation thereof on account of said oscillating movement, and means for positively locking the controller against rotation during interruption of the transmission train.

19. A speed and feed control for a machine tool having a pair of relatively translatable parts, means for effecting such translatory movement from selected positions about the machine including a mechanical transmission train terminating at one end in a speed variator and at the opposite end in a control member, said train being intermediately provided with inter-meshing bevel gears, a pivotal support for the control member oscillatable about the axis of one of said gears, means for interrupting the transmission train at a point intermediate the controller and said gears whereby the controller may be swung 

